Life and Limb

In this passable urban fantasy series opener, a biker and a cowboy learn that they’re “born of heavenly matter,” sealed by blood and bone, and charged with battling the forces of hell on behalf of heaven. Now Gabe Harlan and Remi McCue must learn to work together while battling ghosts, demons, monsters and worse. Luckily, they have the Morrigan as their armorer, an African volcano-singing Orisha as their ally, and their angel “Grandaddy” as their advisor. Even so, with all the forces of evil freshly manifest and gunning for them, the job has a steep—possibly fatal—learning curve. This initial installment is primarily setup and worldbuilding as the two heroes come to terms with their new powers and responsibilities and undergo numerous trials by fire. There’s a kitchen sink approach to the cast: “all those ghosties, ghoulies, things that go bump in the night are now very real,” and representatives from multiple cultural traditions make appearances. Roberson (Sword-Bound) takes a good-natured approach to the ambitious concept, but the leads feel like amiable strangers, and the narrative lacks tension. This feels like a television pilot: the potential is there, but Roberson hasn’t found her groove yet. (Nov.)